Commentary: Smoltz Just a Gun for Hire

I hate to be dating myself, but remember when players actually had an allegiance to a team?

In today's "business" world that is Major League Baseball, John Smoltz packed up 21 years of memories in Atlanta and plans to head north to Boston.

Smoltz, one of the last links to Atlanta's baseball greatness in the 1990s, will join the Red Sox pending the outcome of a physical on Monday. It was not that long ago that Andruw Jones did a similar act and headed west to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

According to the proposed deal, Smoltz will earn $5.5 million on a one-year contract. He will reportedly have the opportunity to garner another $5 million in performance bonuses based largely on how much time he spends on the active roster.

Smoltz issued a statement through his agents at Career Sports & Entertainment this week, noting, "I was going to withhold comment until the announcement of my signing with a new team, but I now feel the need to clear up any misconceptions and inaccuracies about the contract negotiations between myself and the Atlanta Braves. There were large discrepancies between the offer from the Braves and offers from other teams."

Smoltz, who said Atlanta will always be his home, reportedly told his former teammates that he likely wouldn't have earned more than $7 million if he'd chosen to stay in Atlanta. I guess getting by on $7 million these days is tough on most folks.

Braves general manager Frank Wren reportedly wanted Smoltz back, provided the veteran hurler was capable of being productive after his comeback from major shoulder surgery.

Smoltz, 41, had his shoulder surgically repaired in June and now has a shoulder that is bound together with five anchors.

In the end, we know everyone has to do what is best for themselves and their family. That being said, Smoltz is at the tail end of his career and should have gone out as a member of the Braves.

When you say that you're basically moving away because you likely would not have made more than $7 million, it is definitely time for a reality check.

In this case, John Smoltz took the money and ran. Once again, the real losers in this drama are the baseball fans of Atlanta.